9 Money Smart Tips for Your Smartphone

Your smartphone can save you money in everyday activities, from shopping to making long-distance phone calls.

For all of its capabilities, there are times when your smartphone might seem expensive. But many cost-cutting techniques exist that can help your mobile device more than earn its keep. Here are nine ways you can put your smartphone to work to save yourself some cash.

1. Find Free ATMs

Tired of paying transaction fees of up to $3 or more every time you use an out-of-network ATM? Simply check for the nearest fee-free ATM using your bank’s smartphone app. Most large banks have them for both iPhone and Android. If not, you can always save a bookmark for your bank’s ATM locator page. Either way, you can quickly find access to money and avoid those fees.

2. Go Coupon Shopping

Coupons can obviously save you some cash, but it’s doubtful you always have them with you. That’s where mobile coupons come in. Mobile coupon apps provide you with a large database of coupons for various stores so you always have them when you need them. There are tons of different app for options for the various mobile platforms. You may also want to download store-specific apps for access to exclusive deals.

3. Never Forget Your Grocery List

There’s nothing like going grocery shopping and forgetting something because it wasn’t on your list, or forgetting the list altogether. Put an end to it by downloading an app that allows you to scan the barcode of a product as soon as you run out of it at home and add it to your groceries list. Some of these apps also keep track of your grocery store discount cards and any current deals/coupons so you never miss out.

4. Use Digital Loyalty Discount Cards

Loyalty discount cards are very handy when you’re shopping, but once they start to accumulate they can become unmanageable. Your smartphone, however, can store those loyalty cards for quick retrieval. While you could just take pictures of them and store them on your phone, a host apps a free apps are available to help you manage them — many will also give you relevant coupons, too.

5. Stay On Budget

If you’re trying to save, it helps to put together a budget and track your spending. These are both things your smartphone can handle pretty well with just the right app to track what you spend against your budget and many may help you avoid late fees by reminding you to pay your bills.

6. Compare Prices While Shopping

Prices can be higher at brick-and-mortar stores than online. With a smartphone, you can quickly check to see if any online prices are better than what you’re seeing locally. Just scan the barcode on the back of a product with your smartphone’s camera and use a price comparison app to check prices instantly.

7. Find Cheap Gas

With gas prices going up and down, bargain hunting would seem to be a great idea. But you don’t want to venture near and far trying to find the gas station with the lowest price — often times the transport costs will eat up any savings. Your answer? A gas price finder app that will tell you the prices without hitting the road.

8. Make Low-Cost Long Distance Calls

Maybe your smartphone service plan gives you limited minutes. Maybe you’re on Wi-Fi a lot. If you have a good means of keeping your phone connected — start making free calls using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls to save your minutes. Skype is one popular app for doing this, but it’s not the only one — you can also download one of the many apps that give you free Google Voice VoIP.

9. Text For Free

Text messages can be a pricey add-on to your service plan, but many apps let you do it for free. One option is Google Voice, a part of Google Search, which provides free SMS text messages and a free phone number. A host of other apps also offer free text service, but some don’t offer a single, unified phone number.

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9 Money Smart Tips for Your Smartphone

Your smartphone can save you money in everyday activities, from shopping to making long-distance phone calls.

For all of its capabilities, there are times when your smartphone might seem expensive. But many cost-cutting techniques exist that can help your mobile device more than earn its keep. Here are nine ways you can put your smartphone to work to save yourself some cash.

1. Find Free ATMs

Tired of paying transaction fees of up to $3 or more every time you use an out-of-network ATM? Simply check for the nearest fee-free ATM using your bank’s smartphone app. Most large banks have them for both iPhone and Android. If not, you can always save a bookmark for your bank’s ATM locator page. Either way, you can quickly find access to money and avoid those fees.

2. Go Coupon Shopping

Coupons can obviously save you some cash, but it’s doubtful you always have them with you. That’s where mobile coupons come in. Mobile coupon apps provide you with a large database of coupons for various stores so you always have them when you need them. There are tons of different app for options for the various mobile platforms. You may also want to download store-specific apps for access to exclusive deals.

3. Never Forget Your Grocery List

There’s nothing like going grocery shopping and forgetting something because it wasn’t on your list, or forgetting the list altogether. Put an end to it by downloading an app that allows you to scan the barcode of a product as soon as you run out of it at home and add it to your groceries list. Some of these apps also keep track of your grocery store discount cards and any current deals/coupons so you never miss out.

4. Use Digital Loyalty Discount Cards

Loyalty discount cards are very handy when you’re shopping, but once they start to accumulate they can become unmanageable. Your smartphone, however, can store those loyalty cards for quick retrieval. While you could just take pictures of them and store them on your phone, a host apps a free apps are available to help you manage them — many will also give you relevant coupons, too.

5. Stay On Budget

If you’re trying to save, it helps to put together a budget and track your spending. These are both things your smartphone can handle pretty well with just the right app to track what you spend against your budget and many may help you avoid late fees by reminding you to pay your bills.

6. Compare Prices While Shopping

Prices can be higher at brick-and-mortar stores than online. With a smartphone, you can quickly check to see if any online prices are better than what you’re seeing locally. Just scan the barcode on the back of a product with your smartphone’s camera and use a price comparison app to check prices instantly.

7. Find Cheap Gas

With gas prices going up and down, bargain hunting would seem to be a great idea. But you don’t want to venture near and far trying to find the gas station with the lowest price — often times the transport costs will eat up any savings. Your answer? A gas price finder app that will tell you the prices without hitting the road.

8. Make Low-Cost Long Distance Calls

Maybe your smartphone service plan gives you limited minutes. Maybe you’re on Wi-Fi a lot. If you have a good means of keeping your phone connected — start making free calls using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls to save your minutes. Skype is one popular app for doing this, but it’s not the only one — you can also download one of the many apps that give you free Google Voice VoIP.

9. Text For Free

Text messages can be a pricey add-on to your service plan, but many apps let you do it for free. One option is Google Voice, a part of Google Search, which provides free SMS text messages and a free phone number. A host of other apps also offer free text service, but some don’t offer a single, unified phone number.